Bangkok
The seedy hub of Thailand
28.02.2017 - 03.03.2017
30 °C
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South East Asia
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When we arrived in Bangkok our flight was delayed so our hostel that we had booked was given away to other backpackers.
Crystal and I walked the bussleing streets of Bangkok in the late evening and came across Warm White Hostel. It was heaving with friendly backbackers playing drinking games and was literally right up our street.
A two minute walk from our hostel was the infamous Khoa San Road, the party capital of Bangkok. During the day it is a buzzing place to be, you can spend all day walking up and down the street looking at all the weird and wonderful food market stalls and elephant print baggy trousers. Thailand wouldn't be Thailand without tie dye T's and fake branded Ray-Bans on every second stall, "massage" parlours down every street and the locals trying to ram ping pong shows down your throat.
Chang Beer was cheap but a drinkable option everywhere you go, especially if you want a change from the strong and nasty bucket or fishbowl that get you totally bladdered and you're ready to go to bed or puke at 9PM. 
Once the evening draws in the streets come alive with Go Go Girls, weird hat sellers, lights and seedy bar staff beckoning you into every bar with special offers. You meet the strangest and most random people trying to get you to eat scorpions or spiders on a stick - and you do!
You see that Thailand clearly doesn't have health and safety rules like home and feel paranoid that you're going to get pick pocketed everywhere you go. You realise that water is more expensive than Chang Beer, tattoos in a dodgy parlour seemed safe, derogative bracelets are the best gifts for your mates and having a maccas was an acceptable cultural cheap dinner.
The music in the street is confusing, the various bars competing with each other blaring the best party tunes to bring in the punters. The Latino Americans are the best dancers, raving on tables is the done thing and police busts can clear the whole street in a flash.
Bangkok wasn't all partying and old seedy weirdos dating young Thai girls, there was also a lot of culture to see!
Once you leave the tourist traps of massage-offering lady boys, there are many palaces to be seen! Some - a walkable distance from the hostel and others further afield.
We visited many temples in Bangkok that were layered with gold, dragons, flowers, money and Buddhas.
The temples were quiet, calming and beautiful places to visit if you want to get away from the busy streets. Just watch out for rip off scam artists who trick you into pre-booking tours and accommodation at the tourist office by the local people in the temples, telling you that everything is being booked up - when it wasn't!
This is by far one of my favourite photos - Just a monk watering his garden. <3
A group of us from the hostel visited the palace and the king had not long died and there was great mourning for him outside the palace. We had to buy shawls and long trousers to be able to enter the palace as it's respectful and you're not allowed to show your shoulders or legs.
At first we turned up to the wrong place, ended up walking miles in the wrong direction in like 38 degree heat. We hauled 2 tuk tuks and squished like 12 of us into them and raced to the palace. They were dangerously driven but it was great fun racing the other guys and winning!
Crystal loved the culture but I got a bit templed out after visiting like 2 in the same day. She was desperate to find the Recycling Buddha. That's right, not Reclining Buddha, Recycling hahaha - Love Her, she makes me so happy on a daily basis.
The next day we got the coach to Koh Tao.
Posted by Travel__Tease 02:16 Archived in Thailand Tagged palace party tattoo tuk_tuk massage bucket scorpions lady_boys warm_white_hostel Comments (0)
